Luminaire

ABSTRACT

Post top luminaire having a plurality of gaseous discharge lamps is adapted to accommodate differently shaped globes for enclosing the lamps and ballast components for operating the same. An axially extending tubular support formed of separable parts carries the ballast components in its interior and the lamps on its exterior. A collar at the bottom of the globe is detachable to allow removal of the lamps through the open bottom of the globe, as well as to allow access to electrical operating components carried by the central support tube. A louvered canopy at the top of the globe allows outward flow of heated air from the luminaire interior. A slipfitter for mounting the luminaire on a hollow support post is connected to the bottom of the tubular support and has a slot to allow free passage of lead wires from the interior of the post to the interior of the luminaire for connection to the electrical operating components.

United States Patent Plemmons et al.

[s41 LUMINAIRE [7 21 Inventors: Jerry R. Plemmons, Asheville; Mark H. Raymond, Dana, both of NC,

[73] Assignee: General Electric Company [22] Filed: April 22, 1971 [21] Appl. No.: 136,402

[52 Us. Cl. "240/25, 240/78 F, 240/84 [51] Int.Cl ..F2ls 1/10,F2ls 3/10, F2lsl3/IOv [58] Field of Search ..240/3, 25, 78,84

[56] References Cited 7 UNITED STATES PATENTS 3,339,065 8/1967 Kelley, Jr 240/845; 3,482,087 l2/l969 Kelley, Jr .;24o 2s x 3,463,917 8/1969 Stockwell et al.

Primary Examiner-Samuel S. Matthews: Assistant ExaminerRichard A. Wintercorn Attorney-Sidney Greenberg, J. Wesley Haubner,

[451 Dec. 5, 1972' Frank L. Neuhauser, Oscar B. Waddell and Joseph B.

Forman [57 ABSTRACT Post top luminaire having a plurality of gaseous discharge lamps is 3 adapted to accommodate differently shaped globes for enclosing the lamps and ballast components for operating the same. An axially extending tubular support formed of separable parts carries the ballast components in its interior and the lamps on its-exterior. A collar at the bottom of the globe is detachable to allow removal of the lamps through the open bottom of the globe, as well as to allow access to electrical operating components carried by the central support tube. A louvered canopy at the top of the :globe allows outward flow of heated air from the luminaire interior. A slipfitter for mounting the luminaire on a hollow support post is connected to the bottom of the tubular support and has a slot to allow free passage of lead wires from the interior of the post to the interior of the luminaire for connection to the electrical operating components.

17 Claims, 10 Drawing Figures PATENTEBI EB 012 I 3.705.300

SHEET 2 [1F 6 Mar/f AZaymnaf PATENTED Ms 5 m2 3. 705. 300

' sum 3 or 6 P/WI/m;

' 1 LUMINAIRE The present invention relates to luminaires, and more particularly to luminaires of the type adapted to be mounted on top of'posts or the like. 1 I

It is an object of the invention to provide-a luminaire of the above type employing gaseous discharge lamps and electrical ballast components therefor, and a globe for enclosing thesame, wherein the globe is readily removed and replaceable with a different globe without disassembly of the elements enclosed thereby.

Another object of the invention is to provide a luminaire of the above type having a combined support and cooling device for carrying the lamps, ballast components and other electricaloperating elements while serving to remove the heat generated thereby;

A further object of the invention is to provide a luminaire of the above type wherein the lamps enclosed therein may be removed and replaced'without disassembly'of the globe or theballast support device.

Still another-object of the invention is to provide a luminaire of the above'type having improved cooling means and thermal shield means, particularly for protecting the lamps and the ballast componentsfrornthe I heat generated by eachother.

Still a further object of the invention is to provide a luminaire. of the above'type wherein ready access is provided to the interior of the luminaire for servicing and removal of the ballast components therein.

Other objects and advantages will become apparent from the following description and the appended claims. I j

With the above objects in view, the present invention in one of its aspects relates to a luminaire comprising, in combination, a base member adapted to be mounted on top of a post, an elongated tubular support open at top and bottom secured to and extending upwardly from the base member, lamp means removably secured to the tubular support and arranged exteriorly and laterally thereof, electrical operating means arranged in the interior of the tubular support, a globe having top and bottom openingsand arranged enclosing the tubular support and the lamp means, the globe being connected to the tubular support in spaced relation thereto at its bottom opening, whereby the lamp means may be removed through the bottom opening of the globe.

The invention will be better understood from the following description taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings, in which:

FIG. 1 is a view in elevation, partly broken away, showing an embodiment of a luminaire constructed in accordance with the invention;

FIG. 2 is a perspective view of the tubular support device employed in the FIG. 1 luminaire;

FIG. 3 is a detail view in cross-section of the joint between the parts of the globe of the luminaire;

FIG. 4 is a detail view, partly in section, of a portion of the louvered canopy of the luminaire;

FIG. 5 is an elevational view of a portion of the interior of the tubular support device;

FIG. 6 is a detail view of a portion of the lower collar of the luminaire and the adjacent portion of the globe and their connection to the tubular support device;

FIG. 7 is a bottom view of the interior of the luminaire with slipfitter and collar removed;

FIG. 8 is a top view of the slipfitter arranged at the bottom of the tubular support device;

FIG. 9 is an elevational view, partly broken away, of the slipfitter arrangement; and v FIG- 10 is a perspective view of the lower portion of the luminaire with the collar in dropped position.

Referring now to the drawings, and particularly to FIG. 1, there is shown a post-top luminaire embodying the invention and comprising an opaque canopy or hood 1 and light transmitting globe 2, having upper and lower parts 2a, 2b mounted on top of hollow supporting post 3, with a collar 4 arranged at the bottom of globe 2. The luminaire is mounted on top of post 3 by means of base member or slipfitter 5, which, as shown more clearly in FIG. 9, has a lower cylindrical socket portion 5a which fits over the top of post 3 and is removably secured thereto by a plurality of set screws or the like. The upper portion of slipfitter 5, as seen in FIG. 8, is formed with four radially projecting portions 5b and has a slot 5d at its top and extending along one side thereof communicating with the interior of socket por-' tion 5a. The underside of the top wall of slipfitter 5 is formed with radial ledgesSe which rest on top of post'3 and thereby space the remainder of the underside of the slipfitter top wall from the top edge of post 3 to allow passage of electrical leads from within post 3 through slipfitter 5 and out of slot 5d thereof.

Tubular support 6 arranged extending axially upwardly in the interior of the luminaire fits over and is attached at its'bottom end to slipfitter 5 at the projections 5b thereof by screws 6e or the like, with the walls of tubular support 6 being spaced from the sides of slipfitter 5 between the projections thereof, as shown in FIG. 8. As seen best in FIG. 2, tubular support 6 comprises two substantially identical elongatedparts 6a, 6b of channel shape in cross-section, each part having an offset edge flange 6 which overlaps the adjacent edge portion of the other part on opposite sides of the assembly. The two parts 6a,, 6b are secured together by screws 6f or the like spaced along and connecting the overlapped parts, as seen in FIG. ,8.

At its top end, tubular support 6 has a plurality of circumferentially spaced radially projecting elongated brackets 7 affixed thereto on which canopy l is supported, as seen in FIG. 4. Canopy 1 covering the open top of globe 2 is formed with two annular louvers la, 1b

' for escape of heated air from the interior of the lu- FIG. 1 and 2, near the upper end of tubular support 6 below the upper set of radial brackets 7 an intermediate set of radial brackets 9 is attached, to the ends of which lamp sockets 13 are secured. In each lamp socket 13 a lamp 14, typically a gaseous discharge lamp such as a mercury vapor lamp, is threadably secured at its base so as to hang down therefrom alongside tubular support 6 in laterally spaced relation thereto. As shown on the illustrated embodiment, lamp socket brackets 9 are attached to elongated plates 12 secured to and extending along the four corners of tubular support 6. Plates l2 serve as heat shields to protect tubular support 6 and its contained ballast components from the heat evolved and radiated from lamp 14.

As seen best in FIG. 9, collar 4 is secured to the bottom of tubular support 6 by means of bracket strap secured at its upper end to tubular support 6 and at its lower end to collar 4 by means of clamp 16 and screw 17. Collar 4 may be detached from tubular support 6 by unscrewing screw 17 and dropping the collar, which has an opening at its bottom of substantially greater diameter than slipfitter 5. A tether 18, such as a cord or the like, of suitable length connects collar 4 to bracket strap 15 to hold collar 4 in suspended position after being dropped.

In the interior of tubular support 6, as seen in FIG. 5, ballast transformers 20, 21 are mounted on the intermediate wall of channel-shaped housing part 60 by means of lower and upper bracket plates 22, 23 which are attached in heat-conducting relation to tubular support wall 6a and in contact with the metal core of the transformer, so that plates 22, 23 serve as heat sinks to remove heat from the ballast transformers 20, 21 and conduct it to the walls of tubular support 6. The intermediate (main) walls of housing parts 6a, 6b are formed with a plurality of louvers 60 to allow entry of cooling air to the interior of tubular support 6.

Below the lowermost ballast transformer 20, tubular support 6 has an access opening 6d in one wall (see FIG. 7) covered by terminal board 25v serving as an access door, which in turn is overlaid by a protective cover 26. Secured to the wall above terminal board 25 is eyebolt 27 serving as a strain relief device for electrical leads 28 connected to terminal board 25. As seen in FIG. 2, leads 28 pass upwardly in post 3 into slipfitter 5 and through slot 5d therein upwardly to eyebolt 27, to which the leads 28 are secured before passing through cover 26 to terminal board 25. The depth of slot 5d along the side wall of slipfitter 5 is sufficient so that the bottom of the slot is below the bottom edge of tubular support 6, and there is thus avoided any pinching of the leads 28 in the slot 5d between slipfitter 5 and tubular support 6. The arrangement is such that before the luminaire is installed, the leads 28 may be pulled out of the top of post 3 and passed through slot 5d of slipfitter 5 secured to the post, and the luminaire may then be mounted on the slipfitter without damage to the leads, which thereafter may be connected to the luminaire as convenient.

On the inner side of terminal board 25, a U-shaped resilient clamp 29 is secured for detachably holding a ballast capacitor 30. Additional ballast capacitors 31 are arranged inside tubular support 6 resting on the top of slipfitter 5 adjacent capacitor 30. Upon removal of access door (terminal board) 25, as seen in FIG. 10, capacitor 30 as well as capacitors 31 are readily accessable for removal and replacement. Such access to terminal board 25 and the opening it covers is made available in the installed luminaire merely by dropping collar 4 as shown, resulting in uncovering the lower portion of tubular support 6 and the capacitor access door. The capacitors may then be removed by taking them out through the bottom opening of globe 2.

Although capacitors 31 rest loosely on the top of slipfitter 25, closing of access door 25 results in the attached capacitor 30 pressing against the other capacitors and holding them immobilized against the walls of tubular support 6.

During operation of the luminaire, convection cooling of the enclosed components takes place by virtue of entry of cooling air through the bottom opening of collar 4 and the passage of-the air upwardly along the outside of tubular support 6 as well as into the bottom thereof through the spaces between slipfitter 5 and the walls of tubular support 6. Louvers 6c allow entry of a portion of the outside air current into the interior of tubular support 6 for effective cooling of even the uppermost ballast transformers contained therein. By virtue of the disclosed co-axial arrangement of canopy louvers la and lb which have different diameters, the air flowing upwardly along lamps l4 and heated thereby escapes through the outer louver 1b and does not hinder the upward flow of heated air from the open top of tubular support 6 and its passage outwardly through inner louver la, as indicated by the arrows shown in FIGS. 1 and 4.

Preferably, the inner and outer surfaces of tubular support 6 are painted, e.g., with a suitable white paint to increase its surface heat emissivity and absorptivity, while at the same time increasing the optical efficiency of the luminaire by reflection of light rays from tubular support 6.

In a typical embodiment of the luminaire as disclosed, four ballast transformers are mounted one above the other in tubular support 6 by the bracket means shown, each transformer being connected for operation of one of the four lamps. In a modification of such an arrangement wherein improved accessibility of the ballast transformers is provided, two so-called twinlamp ballast transformers may be mounted on the outside of tubular support 6 with each transformer connected to and operating two of the four lamps. Such a modification is shown in FIGS. 1 and 7, wherein a twinlamp ballast transformer 35 is swingably attached by upper and lower brackets 36, 37 to a corner of tubular support 6. As will be understood, another such ballast transformer (not shown) would be similarly mounted on the opposite side of tubular support 6. The transformers in this modification may be removed or serviced by dropping collar 4 so that access is afforded to the mounting bracket connections for loosening the same and removal of the transformers through the bottom opening of globe 2.

As will be understood, when ballast transformers are mounted in the interior of tubular support 6, the outer ballast transformers 35 would normally not be used, and vice-versa.

The particular construction of globe 2 as illustrated is such that both upper and lower parts 2a, 2b may initially be identically formed, and prior to assembly, the periphery of the lower part 2b is cut back and the periphery of the upper part 2a is bent over. When the two halves are then assembled and glued together at their mating rim portions, the bent-over peripheral lip of upper part 2a (see FIG. 3) serves both as a positioning guide during assembly and as an overhanging raindrip lip in the installed luminaire to prevent entry of rain into the interior through the joint. Such an overhanging lip also contributes markedly to the strength and stiffness of the assembled parts, a feature which is particularly desirable for facilitating handling of these parts, which are typically quite large and relatively thin. By virtue of the globe mounting arrangement disclosed, a wide variety of globes of different shapes may be used in the described luminaire while still obtaining the improved results in terms of better accessibility, ef-

fective cooling and other advantages set forth above.

As a result, the basic support, lamp and control mounting structure described may be employed in luminaires having widely varying shapes and appearance as desired, depending on the type of globe attached, without necessitating any change in the basic structure or operation thereof, and the globes are readily interchangeable on the main supporting structure without disassembly of the latter.

While the present invention has been described with reference to particular embodiments thereof, it will be understood that numerous modifications may be made by those skilled in the art without actually departing from the scope of the invention. Therefore, the appended claims are intended to cover all such equivalent variations as come within the true spirit and scope of the invention.

What we claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent of the United States is:

1. A luminaire comprising, in combination, a base member adapted to be mounted on top of a post, an elongated tubular support open at top and bottom secured to and extending upwardly from said base member, lamp means removably secured to said tubular support and arranged exteriorly and laterally thereof, electrical operating means arranged in the interior of said tubular support, a globe having top and bottom openings and arranged enclosing said tubular support and said lamp means, said globe being connected to said tubular support in spaced relation thereto at its bottom opening, for enabling removal at said lamp means through said bottom opening of said globe.

2. A luminaire as defined in claim 1, including connecting means comprising a plurality of circumferentially spaced elongated bracket members extending radially from said tubular support for detachably connecting said globe to said tubular support.

3. A luminaire as defined in claim 1, including a canopy covering the top opening of said globe, said canopy having ventilating means for outward escape of heated air from the luminaire interior.

4. A luminaire as defined in claim 3, said ventilating means comprising a pair of co-axial circumferential louver means of different diameters extending around said canopy.

5. A luminaire as defined in claim 1, said electrical operating means comprising ballast capacitor means, said tubular support having an access opening therein adjacent said ballast capacitor means, said access opening being accessible from the bottom of the luminaire below said globe, whereby said ballast capacitor means may be removed from the luminaire through said access opening.

6. A luminaire as defined in claim 5, said access last transformer means.

8. A luminaire as defined in claim 7, including heat conductive bracketmeans for mounting said ballast transformer means on said tubular support in heattransmitting relation thereto.

9. A luminaire as defined in claim 1, said base member comprising a slipfitter having an upper portion fitting within the open bottom of said tubular support and having a lower socket portion for fitting over the top of the post, said slipfitter socket portion having slot along the side thereof for passage of electrical leads therethrough below the bottom of said tubular support.

10. A luminaire as defined in claim 1, and a collar member below said globe detachably secured to said tubular support and enclosing the lower portion of said tubular support and said base member, said collar member having a bottom opening for passage of cooling air upwardly therein.

11. A luminaire as defined in claim 1, and ballast transformer means detachably mounted on the exterior of said tubular support and being removable from the interior of the luminaire through said bottom opening of said globe.

12. A luminaire as defined in claim 1, including heat shield means arranged between said tubular support and said lamp means.

13. A luminaire as defined in claim 1, said tubular support being formed of a pair of separable elongated housing parts.

14. A luminaire as defined in claim 1, said globe being formed of an upper and a lower similarly formed concave portions having mating rim portions and joined together at said rim portions.

15. A luminaire as defined in claim 14, wherein the rim portion of said upper globe portion is bent downwardly and overhangs the periphery of said lower globe portion.

16. A luminaire as defined in claim 2, wherein said connecting means comprises an upper set of radially extending brackets adjacent the top of said tubular support securing said globe at its top opening to said tubular support, and a lower set of radially extending brackets nearer the bottom of said tubular support securing said globe at its bottom opening to said tubular support.

17. A luminaire as defined in claim 16, and an intermediate set of radially extending circumferentially spaced brackets below said upper set of brackets detachably securing a plurality of lamp means to said tubular support. 

1. A luminaire comprising, in combination, a base member adapted to be mounted on top of a post, an elongated tubular support open at top and bottom secured to and extending upwardly from said base member, lamp means removably secured to said tubular support and arranged exteriorly and laterally thereof, electrical operating means arranged in the interior of said tubular support, a globe having top and bottom openings and arranged enclosing said tubular support and said lamp means, said globe being connected to said tubular support in spaced relation thereto at its bottom opening, for enabling removal at said lamp means through said bottom opening of said globe.
 2. A luminaire as defined in claim 1, including connecting means comprising a plurality of circumferentially spaced elongated bracket members extending radially from said tubular support for detachably connecting said globe to said tubular support.
 3. A luminaire as defined in claim 1, including a canopy covering the top opening of said globe, said canopy having ventilating means for outward escape of heated air from the luminaire interior.
 4. A luminaire as defined in claim 3, said ventilating means comprising a pair of co-axial circumferential louver means of different diameters extending around said canopy.
 5. A luminaire as defined in claim 1, said electrical operating means comprising ballast capacitor means, said tubular support having an access opening therein adjacent said ballast capacitor means, said access opening being accessible from the bottom of the luminaire below said globe, whereby said ballast capacitor means may be removed from the luminaire through said access opening.
 6. A luminaire as defined in claim 5, said access opening being closed by terminal board means detachably connected to said tubular support.
 7. A luminaire as defined in claim 1, said electrical operating means comprising ballast transformer means mounted within said tubular support, said tubular support being formed with louver means for passage of cooling air into the interior thereof for cooling said ballast transformer means.
 8. A luminaire as defined in claim 7, including heat conductive bracket means for mounting said ballast transformer means on said tubular support in heat-transmitting relation thereto.
 9. A luminaire as defined in claim 1, said base member comprising a slipfitter having an upper portion fitting within the open bottom of said tubular support and having a lower socket portion for fitting over the top of the post, said slipfitter socket portion having a slot along the side thereof for passage of electrical leads therethrough below the bottom of said tubular support.
 10. A luminaire as defined in claim 1, and a collar member below said globe detachably secured to said tubular support and enclosing the lower portion of said tubular support and said base member, said collar member having a bottom opening for passage of cooling air upwardly therein.
 11. A luminaire as defined in claim 1, and ballast transformer means detachably mounted on the exterior of said tubular support and being removable from the interior of the luminaire through said bottom opening of said globe.
 12. A luminaire as defined in claim 1, including heat shield means arranged between said tubular support and said lamp means.
 13. A luminaire as defined in claim 1, said tubular support being formed of a pair of separable elongated housing parts.
 14. A luminaire as dEfined in claim 1, said globe being formed of an upper and a lower similarly formed concave portions having mating rim portions and joined together at said rim portions.
 15. A luminaire as defined in claim 14, wherein the rim portion of said upper globe portion is bent downwardly and overhangs the periphery of said lower globe portion.
 16. A luminaire as defined in claim 2, wherein said connecting means comprises an upper set of radially extending brackets adjacent the top of said tubular support securing said globe at its top opening to said tubular support, and a lower set of radially extending brackets nearer the bottom of said tubular support securing said globe at its bottom opening to said tubular support.
 17. A luminaire as defined in claim 16, and an intermediate set of radially extending circumferentially spaced brackets below said upper set of brackets detachably securing a plurality of lamp means to said tubular support. 